Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the best players in the league for years, and he has the hardware to prove it. The previous season didn’t end the way he wanted after suffering a season-ending injury and Milwaukee Bucks lose in first round of playoffs to the Indiana Pacers. Despite a disappointing season, it’s hard to overlook what Antetokounmpo can do, but Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett wonder where he ranks in the Eastern Conference.
Pierce asked Garnett if Antetokounmpo was the best player in the East, and Garnett had a interesting answer.
“You can’t say that with [Joel] “Embiid there, and with Jayson Tatum there… He’s probably the fourth best player in the East,” Garnett said.
Pierce and Garnett then began naming players who could be in contention, such as Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid.
“Tatum is on top, he just won a championship,” Pierce said. “I’m taking [Giannis] on Embiid. Embiid is working hard to get back into shape.
With Antetokounmpo’s resume, there’s no way he’s the fourth best player in the Eastern Conference, and it’s also safe to say he shouldn’t be third either.
Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo rank in the Eastern Conference?
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid are arguably the three best players in the Eastern Conference, but who ranks at the top could be up for debate.
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If recency bias is part of the argument, then Tatum might currently hold the top spot heading into the season. Tatum and the Boston Celtics won the recent championship, but that was Jaylen Brown who won every award including Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVPStill, there’s no doubt about what Tatum has done, and he’s arguably the Celtics’ best player.
Embiid has proven over the years that he is one of the best centers in the league, and he continues to battle with Nikola Jokic for the top spot in that conversation. Embiid has an MVP, but he can’t seem to make the playoffs, as he has never reached the Eastern Conference Finals in his career.
Of Embiid and Tatum, Antetokounmpo has the most success, having won two MVP awards, a championship and a Finals MVP award. The criticism of the Bucks star is that he hasn’t been able to advance past the first round in the last two seasons, but that’s because of injuries.
Every year, the Bucks are favored to win the Eastern Conference because of Antetokounmpo, and as long as he’s on the team, they’ll be in a good spot in the conference. The Bucks will be the same team they had last year, and if they can stay healthy, they’ll be contending for a title again.
